European Council gives green light to use supercomputers for AI development

The European Council has approved an extension of the European High-Performance Computing partnership. This means that companies that operate supercomputers in the EU can offer AI training services on these systems.

The amendment of the regulation allows companies to develop and operate so-called 'AI factories'. These AI factories, consisting of supercomputers, data centers and specialized services tailor-made for the development of AI applications, will be accessible to both public and private users. There are specific provisions to ensure that start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises also have access. Operators of AI factories receive financial support from the EU, which covers up to 50 percent of the purchase costs of supercomputers and up to 50 percent of operating costs.

The European Commission proposed the change earlier this year with the aim of making Europe more competitive in AI development. On May 23, member states reached an agreement and on June 17, the European Council approved the proposal.